December 01, 2009

Ruby Kobo’s Haute Hippie Bijoux

Q:
What do you get when you cross a jewelry-loving California-by-way-of-Tel Aviv native
with a jewelry-loving Hong Kong-born, Upper East Side sophisticate?

A:
Ruby Kobo, a just-launched collection of boho luxe bijoux.

Yuvi Alpert, the
world-trekking son of a diamond dealer, hails from the West Coast, while Danna
Kobo, who previously worked with Jacob the Jeweler, hails from the East.

The two formed Ruby Kobo earlier this year, and their disparate backgrounds
come together beautifully in the collection’s unexpected high-low
pairings. To wit: a delicate row of 25 diamonds is set on a hemp wrist wrap,
while rubies, sapphires, emeralds, citrines and black pearls are strung on natural
waxed linen or organic silk cording.

“The aesthetic of the collection is undoubtedly connected
to our differing backgrounds and experiences,” Alpert told The Fashion Informer
when we met up at his Soho showroom. “Growing up by the beach in LA and Tel Aviv,
I was used to a more casual, untailored style and contemporary looks. Danna,
on the other hand, grew up in Hong Kong and later in uptown Manhattan, where
she was exposed to a more lavish lifestyle, quality diamonds and chic
boutiques.”

“It is the combination of the
formal and informal that makes Ruby Kobo unique,” he added. “You can see this
juxtaposition in each piece in the collection.”

Indeed, you can. There’s also a strong –
and very timely – spiritual element, as seen in the collection’s gold and pavé-lined
Hasma hands (thought to bestow good luck), Tulsi wood beads (meant to promote
harmony with nature and awaken inner love) and tiny Tibetan masks (which serve
as a reminder of the transient nature of our existence), all of which Alpert first discovered while backpacking in Far East Asia and South America. Several
styles even feature minute beads individually carved with the Tibetan mantra,
Om Mani Padme Hum.

The duo sources their
materials in India, Nepal, Thailand and Peru, and all pieces are finished, by
hand, in New York City. But the
thing we like best about Ruby Kobo jewelry (now carried in Bergdorf Goodman
Men, Fred Segal, The Webster, Louis Boston and Kabiri) is that it’s meant to be
worn layered – and worn often.
This isn’t the type of precious metal you store away for special
occasions or rarefied events. It’s
the type of meaningful – and highly personal - jewelry that you just can’t wait
to put on every day.